- Historical dictionary of the Arabic language
- “It all starts with a book”
- Morocco, guest of honor
- “Cultural Personality of the Year”
- Georgi Gospodinov and Javier Cercas, among the participants
Under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and organized by the Sharjah Book Authority, the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) opens its doors until to November 17 at the Sharjah Exhibition Centre.
More than 2,500 publishers from 108 countries, around 400 authors and 1,400 cultural, literary and educational activities intended for all audiences make up an ambitious program which includes music, poetry, theater, talks, conferences, workshops and, as in all literary fairs, writer signatures.
During the opening ceremony, His Highness, after welcoming the participants, praised this event, which already enjoys great prestige, and highlighted the efforts made to continue to advance knowledge , to spread culture and strengthen the Arabic language in the world. He did not hesitate to affirm that books are “the secret of the success of the progress of countries” and “the best companions of life”.
Historical dictionary of the Arabic language
He also mentioned the completion of the Dictionary of the Arabic Language in 127 volumes, a project in which he was personally involved and in which some 700 employees participated over seven years. “Preserving the language also means preserving its people, its history, its literature and its authentic identity,” declared the governor. Al-Qasimi explained that these volumes bring together linguistic heritage, including vocabulary, poetry and linguistic references, from classical to contemporary Arabic.
Finally, he announced an ambitious new project, the Arabic encyclopedia, which will cover all areas of knowledge.
“It all starts with a book”
“It all starts with a book” is the phrase that visitors will find written in the different corners of the event. A slogan that reflects the importance of books as individuals and as a society. In this sense, Ahmed bin Rakkad al-Ameri, Director General of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), spoke at the opening ceremony to affirm that books are “the cornerstone of our present and of our future” and “great works of humanity, because they are full of wisdom”. Al-Ameri recalled the emirate's commitment to promoting books and knowledge, as well as its efforts to defend Arab identity and involve cultures from around the world.
He also did not want to forget the figures which make the SIBF the world's leading trade show in terms of the volume of sales and purchases of copyrights it generates.
Morocco, guest of honor
And like every year, this edition also has its guest of honor. If the previous edition had welcomed South Korea, this time, the guest of honor is Morocco, a country that will present its culture and its great literary background during this important event and which will be attended by some of its most prominent writers, such as Mohammed Achaari, winner of the International Booker Prize for the Arabic novel, Abdessalam Benabdelali, winner of the Sultan al Prize -Owais of human studies, sociologist and anthropologist Rahma Bourqia and poet Latifa Miftah, to name a few. But it's not just literature, Morocco will take advantage of the event to develop an interesting agenda that will include cinema, theater, music, crafts and even its cuisine in the space called Cookery Corner.
This country was represented by Latifa Muftaqir, director of the Book, Libraries and Archives Authority of the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, who, after highlighting the work of cultural capital and knowledge developed by this emirate and thanked the invitation extended to his kingdom, spoke of the existing twinning between Morocco and the United Arab Emirates and the cultural and human bond which unites them. She also explained that they will respond to this invitation with a rich program involving 40 personalities who will carry out various cultural activities, some of which will be aimed at children.
“Cultural Personality of the Year”
Algerian writer Ahlem Mosteghanemi also participated in this ceremony by receiving the title of “Cultural Personality of the Year” awarded by the SIBF 2024 for his contribution to Arabic literature over the past five decades.
The author, considered one of the most influential in the Arab cultural world, highlighted the role that the emirate plays, thanks to its governor and the president of the SBA, Sheikha Bodour al Qasimi, in the promotion of knowledge, the encouragement of creativity and the celebration of the book and its literary production.
She remembered her first visit to Sharjah, twenty years ago, and the warmth with which she had been welcomed, but neither these fond memories nor the joy of this tribute made her forget the sadness of seeing so many of children dying in Gaza and Lebanon.
Georgi Gospodinov and Javier Cercas, among the participants
Over the next few days, visitors to the fair will be able to attend interviews and meetings with internationally renowned writers such as the Bulgarian Georgi Gospodinov, winner of the 2023 International Booker Prize, the Canadian physicist and cosmologist Lawrence M. Krauss, the Pakistani novelist Amna Mufti, the Indian actress and author Huma Qureshi, the British Tahir Shah and Peter Frankopan, the author by bestsellers Stephen Bartlett and Spanish writer Javier Cercas. They are joined by Arab authors such as the Egyptians Hisham El Gakh, Ibrahim Abdel Meguid and the actor Ahmed Ezz; Kuwaiti writer Laila al-Othman; and an exceptional group of Emirati writers: Ibrahim al-Hashimi, Ali al-Abdan, Sultan al-Ameemi, Saeed al-Dhaheri, Hamad bin Seray, Eman al-Yousuf, Amal al-Sahlawi…
Eleven interesting days await us to embark on the exciting adventure of reading, meet its protagonists, soak up culture, be surprised by the creativity of different artists while strolling through the corridors of the Exhibition Center, reflect on current issues such as social networks, artificial intelligence, content creation or the freedom of the writer, learn in multiple workshops, watch live how great international chefs cook… Enjoy, in short, of the wide range of activities offered by this Book Fair, which goes well beyond its exhibitors. And let’s not forget that “it all starts with a book”.
